Gorgonzola Stuffed Mushrooms

The first hors doeuvre I learned to make.  My grama taught me when I was 10.  She would bake hers for hours…mostly because it was a holiday and she’d be drinking VO and talking with guests that would drop by unannounced throughout the day and forget the mushrooms were even in the oven.  They were still delicious, though. 

Fast forward 12 years.  I was with my boyfriend visiting his family in Louisville, KY for Christmas and the drink hour came around--4:30 sharp.  Out on the sideboard was a bottle of every booze ever made, assorted linen cocktail napkins (a tradition I carry on to this day), and Havarti cheese and crackers.  I said to his mother Leila “I see you have Gorgonzola and mushrooms in your refrigerator…can I make you something special?”  Absolutely.  My grandmothers mushrooms. It was the biggest thank you I could give her for sharing her son with me, in the only way that I knew how:  good food that makes you smile.  And she did.  Big.  She was as gracious a hostess as you could ever have, quick with a joke and easy to laugh.  Thanks, Leila, for some of the best times of my life :)  

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This recipe serves 2:

1 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and stem removed
1 can Beef Consommé (I use Campbells)
Gorgonzola cheese
butter

Remove stem from mushrooms and place upside down in pan.   Place a little bit of butter inside mushroom, and stuff bleu cheese on top of that.



stuffed

Pour consommé around mushrooms (about 1/3 up the side of them) and bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes, or until cheese has melted and mushrooms are heated through.  Now, I know you wanna sip the salty, beefy broth in the bottom of the pan, with the cheesy melted bits of goodness swimming around in it.  Go ahead...no one's looking.  You're alone in the kitchen, it's just our secret...lol...

baked, and just out of the oven



Tapenade

Tapenade. Olive spread. My daughters favorite snack.  Most kids ask their moms to make cookies…when she was 8, she’d come home from school and ask me to make tapenade.  And since it’s waaaaaaaay easier than cookies, I’d happily oblige.

All you need is olives and olive oil.  That’s the base and sometimes, the whole thing.  I’ve also used capers, anchovies, fresh garlic, and lemon, but only if I happen to have them in the refrigerator.  Just put your ingredients in the food processor, pulse for a few seconds and there it is…tapenade!  It could be easier, but then you wouldn’t be impressed :)

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1 container mixed olives (I used green Spanish and purple Kalamata)

Extra Virgin olive oil

2 baguettes

optional:  lemon juice, garlic, anchovy, capers

Place olives, some olive oil, (and any optional ingredients) in a food processor. Pulse for a few seconds--I like mine to have some consistency, but you can make it completely smooth if that's how you like it.

Make crostini:  slice baguettes on the diagonal, drizzle with olive oil, bake in 350 degree oven for 5 min.

Place olive spread in a bowl. It's good just like this BUT, if you just can't stop here, you can drizzle a bit of olive oil or squeeze some fresh lemon on top.  I don't think it needs it, but you might.
Spread on crostini and enjoy :)


Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich

Grilled chicken breast sandwiches.  Booooring.  It’s always the same:  chicken breast, lettuce, tomato;  usually in a sports bar; usually an alternative to the wings or cheeseburger you really want when you’re drinking Michelob Ultra and trying to be good.  Not this one—it’s better :)

I’ve been making it for awhile and it’s always a big hit. Perfect for Sunday afternoon lunch by the pool with some sweet potato fries and a chilled bottle of pinot gris, or weeknight dinner when you’re in a hurry, with salty kettle chips and an icy cold Bud Lite.   It’ garlicky, hot, wet, and delicious…I ask you, what’s better than THAT??

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WHAT TO BUY:

4 chicken breasts
4 sandwich buns
2 tomatoes
4 slices swiss cheese
1 head garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
mayonnaise
salt/pepper/garlic powder
Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chacheri's)

First, slice tomatoes and place on plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cover, and set aside.

Prepare chicken and season on both sides with salt/pepper/garlic powder/cajun seasoning. 

Grill.  When almost done, melt swiss cheese over the top.  Remove to plate.

Cut buns in half.  Drizzle lightly with oil and grill till bread is filled with char marks.  Remove from grill.

top and bottom of bun, beautiful grill marks

Peel one garlic clove and slice edge off lengthwise to expose the inside.  Rub cut side of garlic on all 8 buns (4, top and bottom).

Place chicken breast on bottom bun.  Put 2 or 3 marinated tomato slices on top.  Spread mayonnaise and mustard liberally on top bun.  Place bun on top and press down slightly so that juices from the tomato and chicken mix with the balsamic/olive oil/mayonnaisey/mustardy goodness. 

Eat immediately.  If you're like my daughter, there should be juice running down your arms while you're licking it up with the piece of bun that broke off in your hand.  Enjoy!! 

Note:  Depending on what bun you buy, your sandwich will look different each time (but it will always be delicious!)  Below I used a Kaiser roll, but above I used a Cuban sandwich roll.



Cinnamon Toast Martini

I introduced the chocolate martini to my friend, Steve, in 2009.   They were the new thing back then and I was sharing them with anyone who’d join in.  Sometimes I really liked them, and sometimes not so much.  It was almost a year before I figured it out:  I really don’t like Bailey’s, and more often than not, it’s one of the ingredients.  After my discovery, Steve and I stopped sharing them and we’d order our own (because he DOES like Bailey’s) and we’d sip and compare, having our own little critiquing session…because the fun in this is that I never knew what I was gonna get!  When I’d say I wanted a chocolate martini without Bailey’s, it was up to the bartender:  sometimes it was Meyers dark rum, sometimes coconut rum, sometimes extra Crème de Cocoa, whatever they wanted to use.  

SO…2 weeks ago, Steve and I decided to come up with our own concoction and we went through several (too many!) versions, but just couldn’t get it right.  But what we DID come up with was even better.  We call it the “Cinnamon Toast Martini” because as we’d get further and further from the chocolate martini we’d envisioned, it started to taste more and more like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, my daughter’s favorite cereal!  Make some tonight for you and your friends and see what you think…but go easy…you  don’t want to drink so many that you end up with double vision and a wicked headache the next day like me and Steve!! UGH…

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WHAT TO BUY:

1 bottle Rum Chata
1 bottle Pinnacle "Cinnamon Bun" Vodka
chocolate syrup (I use Hershey's)
already prepared Cinnamon Sugar (found in the spice aisle)
martini shaker
ice

Freeze 2 martini glasses.  When ready to make the martinis:

Pour some Rum Chata in a shallow saucer
Sprinkle some cinnamon sugar in a shallow saucer

Take glasses out of freezer; dip rim in Rum Chata and then in cinnamon sugar.  You should now have a nicely rimmed glass.

Next, make design in the glass with the chocolate syrup:

Steve likes a flower design

I like a swirl design

In martini shaker filled with ice, pour 2 parts Rum Chata and 1 part Cinnamon Bun vodka.  Shake vigorously, pour into glass.  This makes one martini.

Sprinkle top with a pinch of cinnamon sugar.  Enjoy!

Kale Soup

One summer, I was visiting an out-of-town friend and we very much wanted his family to join us for dinner.  When he called his brother, he told us that his wife Erin had already made Kale Soup but that they’d be happy to join us anyway.  I’m glad they did because we had a great time, but all night I kept thinking "I wonder what Erin puts in her soup???"

Being right there in the Kale Soup capital of the world (the area in MA that runs from Fall River down toward New Bedford and the rest of Plymouth County, and also encompasses Cape Cod and the Islands), I’m sure hers was authentic and delicious; honest, with a little kick of spice.  That would be traditionally:  kale, flavorful broth, garlic, potatoes, and Portuguese sausage of some kind (like Linguica or Chourico), or sometimes even a ham hock. But I've also had some with tomatoes, and my friend's mom finishes it with a drizzle of olive oil. 

I’ve always made mine pretty much like I described above, except I’m down here in the south so I use butter beans, which get even more velvety and pillowy-soft as they cook.  

It will be 39 degrees here on Friday night—and waaaaaaay colder in the rest of the country.   Make a pot of Kale Soup for you and your family, or for your special someone on Saturday.  Soup, a bottle of red wine, kisses and hugs, and a smile from someone you love—what’s better on Valentine’s Day than THAT?

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WHAT TO BUY:
1 - 15.5 ounce can butter beans, drained
12 ounces kale (I buy it already washed and chopped in a bag)
1 - 8 ounce spicy Portuguese sausage link (such as chourico or linguica), cut in half lengthwise and then cut into half moons crosswise
         OR 1 ham hock
32 ounces chicken broth, and a little more if desired for a brothier soup
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
red pepper flakes
olive oil
freshly grated parmesan cheese
one sandwich roll per person
butter
water

sausage, browned in dutch oven

(Serves 3, and can so easily be doubled)

Drizzle 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in large dutch oven and brown sausage and onion over medium-high heat.  Soon, you will see the oils coming out of them, and it will be a beautiful orange color from the seasonings (such as paprika) in the sausage. 

Drain oil if you'd like (you'd be crazy!)--this is when I add the garlic.  Turn the heat down to medium and sauté garlic slightly, then add half a cup of water.  Scrape bottom of pan, and add kale to pot a little at a time, until it's slightly wilted, the steam will do it for you. 

Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Add beans and broth and simmer on low, stirring all to incorporate 

Cover with lid and let cook approx. 25 min on med-low, just bubbling slightly 

I pushed the kale aside so you could see the broth.  It should be rich and deep in color

Take off lid, adjust seasonings, add more broth if necessary, cook for 5-8 minutes more.  Place in bowls and top with freshly-grated parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately with crusty bread, still hot from the broiler

For the last 8 minutes, while soup is cooking:
Turn on broiler.  Slice rolls in half and butter both sides.  Place under broiler and watch carefully--don't turn your back, they brown FAST.  Brown to desired color and place on platter.  Set aside.

mmmmmmm....

Affogato

Affogato, my daughters favorite dessert.  It’s comprised of only 2 ingredients so I feel funny calling it a recipe, but it is…and sooooo good.  It’s (usually) vanilla gelato or ice cream in a small dish or coffee cup, with hot espresso or strong coffee poured over the top, and eaten with a spoon.  It’s name literally means “drowned” in Italian, and that’s exactly what it is:  ice cream drowned in coffee.  What could possibly be bad about that??

I’ve had affogato all over the country but my two favorites live in the city of Chicago:  At “Avec”, where the coffee was so spot on, and at “The Purple Pig”, where they used salted caramel ice cream.  Sometimes there’s biscotti served alongside, sometimes crushed coffeebean powder on top, but always delicious, especially shared with someone you love :)

Make this for someone special—one cup, two spoons, two smiles…

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WHAT TO BUY:
vanilla gelato or ice cream
(I love the affogato at "The Purple Pig", so I use Talenti Salted Caramel gelato.  It also has large chunks of chocolate bits in it that melt right in...mmmmmmm)
1 pot espresso or strong black coffee
biscotti, chocolate coffee beans (optional)


Put 2 or 3 large scoops of gelato in cup... 

Pour hot coffee around the gelato...

see the chocolate bits melting in??

Serve with biscotti or coffee beans if desired...

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Chicken Stew

It’s chilly and damp down here in Naples tonight, but in the rest of the country…it’s freeeeezing!!  Northern friends, you need something to warm you from the inside out.  Print this list, go to the grocery store, open up a bottle of the spiciest cabernet you can find, turn on some Corrine Bailey Rae, set a table next to the fire, lights low, and settle in for a night of intimate conversation with someone you ADORE. 

All my best relationships involve memories of food in some way or another.  This hearty, Mediterranean stew is bound to make some good ones for you, too :)

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3 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

half an onion, chopped

1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

18 ounces chicken broth, maybe more

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 chicken breasts with skin and bones

1 - 15 ounce can garbanzo beans

1 bunch fresh parsley, washed

salt/pepper

1 loaf crusty bread

Heat oil in large dutch oven.  Add celery, carrot, onion, and chopped garlic and sautee until onion is translucent, maybe 6-8 minutes. 

Add salt/pepper to taste, basil, and Italian Seasoning.  Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, and bay leaves.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Add chicken.  Submerge them in liquid and simmer on med-low, covered, approx. 30 minutes, turning chicken periodically.  DO NOT taste during this time, as chicken and juices will still be raw.

 

raw chicken, submerge in broth to cook



After 30 minutes, remove chicken and place on large plate or in shallow rectangular pan.  let cool until you can touch it.  Remove and discard bay leaves, add beans to pot, and simmer on low, uncovered, approximately 30 minutes more, adding more chicken broth if  necessary. 

While the broth is simmering, remove skin  and bones and shred chicken. 

shredded chicken

* at this time, if bread needs to go in the oven, do so now

Place chicken back into stew, adjust seasonings as needed and simmer for approx. 15 minutes more.  When ready, roughly chop parsley and sprinkle on top, stirring lightly into stew.

ready for bowls

 Place stew in bowls and serve with bread.